Freight bracing apparatus



` March 7, 1967 H. w. CHAPMAN ETAL 3,397,497

FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS I 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORLS. 1^/ dpmdyz 276x774?, T7'.

Filed Oo. 25, 1964 alCh 7, w67 H. w. CHAPMAN ETAL, 337497 FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,307,497 FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS Harvey W. Chapman, Detroit, and Herbert E. Rolfe, Jr.,

The present invention relates to freight bracing apparatus and more particularly relates to an improved crossbar which is particularly adapted for use in securely holding in place unusually heavy loads, and is herein illustrated and described as applied to use in a railroad car adapted for the shipment of coils of sheet metal.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved crossbar of the above mentioned type which is rugged in construction, simple in design, reliable and ecient in operation and economical of manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved crossbar of the above mentioned type having novel means for effecting desired variations in the effective width of the bar to permit installation so that the bar is tightly held against the load. 4

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved crossbar including an elongated first body section adapted to be mounted in fixed position in the car and also having an extensible body section movable transversely of the first body section and wedge means for effecting movement of the extensible section to its fully extended position. tI is also an object of the present invcniton to provide such a crossbar including latch means for holding the wedge means against Withdrawal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crossbar of the above mentioned type in which the construction and arrangement of the wedge means and latch means is such that upon movement of the extensible section toward its fully extended position the force of gravity acting upon the wedge means will cause it to move downwardly to prevent return movement` of the extensible section in a direction away from its extended position.

Other and more detailed objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification, the appended claims and the 4accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective view of the interior of a railroad car adapted for use in the shipment of coiled sheet metal and showing crossbars embodying the features of the present invention mounted therein;

FIGURE 2 is a broken plan View with parts. broken away showing the crossbar at the present invention and portions of the supporting structure to which it is connected;

FIGURE 3 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 2 taken substantially along the line 3 3 thereof; and,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 2 taken substantially along the line 4-4 thereof.

While it will be appreciated thatthe features of the present invention may be embodied in crossbars adapted for a wide variety of uses, the present invention is herein illustrated and described as embodied in crossbars illustrated in connection with a railroad car designed for use in the shipment of coils of sheet metal. n

FIGURE 1 shows a portion of the interior of such a railroad car generally indicated at, 1,0 which may be of the construction illustrated and described in greater detail in United States Patent No. 3,009,426 granted in the name of S. M. Nampa to the assignee of the present application.

3,307,497 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 For the present purposes it is sufficient to state that the car includes a cradle generally indicated at 12 and a pair of covers 14 and 16 movable between closed positions in which they protect the coils of sheet metal 17 supported on the cradle 12, and open positions permitting the loading and unloading of the coils 17. Extending along opposite sides of the cradle 12 are supporting plates 18 and 20 which have a plurality of apertures 22 uniformly spaced therealong. Improved crossbars constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally indicated at 24 are shown in FIGURE 1 extending transversely of the cradle 12 and between and supported at their'opposite ends upon the support plates 18 and 20. Thecrossbars 24 are disposed between the coils 17 and engage the ends of the coils as hereinafter described to hold the coils against axial movement. The cradle 12 holds the coils against rolling movement.

As best illustrated in'FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, each crossbar24 comprises a rst and main elongated body section 26 having connecting means generally indicated at 28 at its opposite ends for connecting the crossbar to the supporting plates 18 and 20, an extensible section generally indicated at 30 mounted on the main section 26 for movement transversely thereof and wedge means generally indicated at 32 for moving the extensible section toward its extended position. The preferred embodiment illustrated also includes latch means generally indicated at 34 effective, when in latched position, to hold the wedge means against withdrawal.

The main body section 26 of the crossbar has an elongated metal portion providing the structural strength of said section Z6 and consisting of a pair of channels 36 and 38 which are disposed in generally back to lback relation, but with the web portions 40 and 42 thereof in spaced parallel relation and with the flanges 44 and 46 thereof extending in opposed relation. The channels 36 and 38 are interconnected and held in spaced parallel relation byethe L-shaped blocks 48 disposed adjacent opposite ends of the channels 36 and 38 and welded to the webs 40 and 42 thereof in the positions illustrated. The channels 36 and 38 are also interconnected intermediate their ends by spaced tie blocks 50 which are rectangular in cross section, as best illustrated in FIGURE 2 and which extend through apertures in the webs 40 and 42 and are welded thereto asbest illustrated in FIGURE .3. In addition to tying the web portions of the channels 36 and 38 together intermediate their ends, these blocks 50 also serve, as hereinafter described, to limit the movement of the extensible section 30 relative to the main section 26.

The connecting means 28 at the opposite end of the channels 36 and 38 includes reinforcing plates 52 welded to the webs 40 and 42 of the channels -between the flanges 44 and 46 thereof. Two pairs of elongated openings 54 are provided through the plates 52 and the webs 40 and 42 to which they are welded for the reception of pins 56 which are preferably secured to the channel 36 as by the chains 58, to avoid loss thereof. The main body section 24 is also provided with a Ibuffer strip 60 extending along and secured to corresponding flanges 44 and 46 at one side of the channels 36 and 38. In the embodiment illustrated the buffer strip 60 is of wood and is held in place by studs 62 welded on the channels 36 and 38 and nuts 64 threaded on the outer ends of the studs and received in recesses provided in the outer surfaces of the extensible section` 30 includes a tongue portion generally indicated at 74 which is received between the spaced parallel web portions 40 and 42 of the main body section channels 36 and 38 as best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 and is movable relative thereto -between the fully extended position illustrated in full lines in FIGURE 4 and the fully retracted position there shown in broken lines. This tongue portion 74 of the extensible section 30 extends substantially throughout the length of the extensible section 30 and consists of a framework of channels 76 covered at the top and bottom as best illustrated in FIGURE 3, by spaced parallel skins of sheet metal 78. The tongue 74 is connected to the channel 76 at the center of the web 80 of the channel and is welded thereto and is provided with gusset plates 82 at its opposite ends and is further supported by spacer blocks 84 welded between the tongue and the flanges 86 of the channel 66.

Adjacent the opposite ends of the crossbar it is provided with wedge engaging surfaces co-operating with the wedge means 32 as hereinafter described. The wedge engaging surfaces of the main body section 24 are provided on the L-shaped spacer blocks 48 and are indicated at 88 in the left-hand portion of FIGURE 2 and in FIGURE 4. The co-operating wedge engaging surfaces of the extensible section 30 are provided on wedge blocks 90 forming a structural part of the tongue 74 and having the wedge engaging surfaces thereof indicated at 92. It will be seen that a crossbar is provided adjacent each end with spaced parallel wedge engaging surfaces 88 and 92.

The wedge 32 has an arcuately shaped wedge portion 94 as best illustrated in FIGURE 3 which is movable between the wedge engaging surfaces `88 and 92 as is clearly shown in FIGURE 2. This wedge portion 94 is of H-shaped cross section as is clearly illustrated in FIG- URE 2 and includes a plurality of uniformly spaced teeth 96 formed -in the outer arcuate surface of one flange thereof which co-operate with the latch 34 as hereinafter described. The wedge 32 also includes a bifurcated arm portion 98, the outer end of which is pivotally connected by a pin 100 to spaced pivot blocks 102 mounted in the channel 36 and welded to the web 40 and flanges 44 thereof. The webs 40 and 42 of the channels 36 and 38 are provided with apertures 104 and 106 through which the arcuate portion 94 of the wedge 32 moves during its pivotal movement.

The latch 34 is pivotally supported on the web 40 of the channel 36 adjacent the aperture 104 therein by a U-shaped supporting bracket 108 which supports a pivot pin 110 extending through the latch 34 and the bracket 108 and which pin is also surrounded by a spring 112, the right-hand portion of which, as viewed in FIGURE 3, acts against the latch 34 and the left-hand portion of which, as viewed in FIGURE 3 is anchored against the `bracket 108 whereby the spring 110 yieldably urges the latch 34 in a clockwise direction as there viewed. The latch 34 includes a nose portion 114 adapted to engage the teeth 96 of the wedge 32 and also includes a stop portion 116 which in the normal operative position illustrated in the deft-hand portion of FIGURE 3, engages the web 40 of the channel 36 to prevent counterclockwise movement of the latch element 34. It will thusy be seen that the co-operation of the latch nose 114 with the wedge teeth 96 and the engagement of the stop portion 116 with the web 40 of the channel 36 prevents movement of the wedge 32 in an upward direction as there illustrated, that is, in a direction to withdraw it. The latch 34 is also provided with a handle 118 adapted to be employed by the operator in moving the latch in a clockwise direction so as to raise the stop 116 from the web 40 and withdraw the llatch nose 114 from engagement with the teeth 96. When so withdrawn, the wedge 32 may then be moved upwardly as shown in FIGURE 3 toward its withdrawn position. The construction and mounting of the wedge 32 and the latch 34 and the relationship between the weight of the wedge 32 and the strength of the spring 112 is such thatvin the event of any movement of the extensible section 30 toward its extended position, as may result from movement of the coil car over the roadbed or during bumping of the car, the force of gravity acting on the wedge will cause it to move downwardly overcoming the force of the spring 112. In one embodiment of the present invention one of the wedges 32 weighs twentyfive pounds and is much greater than the weight required acting on the latch nose 114 to effect pivotal movement of the latch 34 in a clockwise direction to move the latch nose 114 out of the path of movement of the wedge 32.

While only one specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail herein, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An elongated crossbar adapted to be mounted in a railroad car or the like between spaced parallel supports provided therein and engage freight carried in said car, said crossbar comprising an elongated bar body, means at each end of said bar body for selectively connecting said crossbar to said supportsl in a plurality of positions spaced therealong, said bar body including a first elongated body section carrying said means at each end and which is held by said means against movement relative to said supports when said `means is connected thereto, said first -body section being comprised `of two oppositely facing elongated channels, means iafxing the webs of said channels together at spaced longitudinal positions to define an elongated slot therebetween and a freight engaging member affixed to adjacent flanges of said channels yat one y side thereof for engaging freight, a second elongated body section disposed in side by side parallel relation to said first body section and having a freight engaging member, means mounting said second body section on said first body section for movement transversely thereof from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position for selectively varying the effective thickness of said bar and the distance between said freight engaging members, said last named means comprising an elongated portion of said second body section slidably supported in said slot between the webs of said channels, biasing means supported for movement -by one of said sections and engaging the other-of said sections, said biasing means beingautomatically movable from a withdrawn position t-o a' fully advanced position for urging said second body section from said fully retracted position toward said fully extended position, said biasing means providing a substantially continuous force for urging said second body section toward said fully extended position, and locking means for precluding movement of said biasing means toward its withdrawn position for precluding return movement of said second body section toward its fully retracted position. f

2. An elongated crossbar adapted to be mounted in a railroad car or the like between spaced parallel supports provided therein and engage freight carried in said car, said crossbar comprising an elongated bar body, means at each end of said bar body for selectively connecting f said crossbar to said supports in a plurality of positions spaced therealong, said bar body including a first elongated Vbody section carrying said means at each end and which is held by said means against movement in one direction relative to said supports when said means is connected thereto, a second elongated body section disposed in side by side parallel relation to said first body section, means mounting said second body section on said first body section for movement transversely thereof, and in a direction opposite to said one direction from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position for selectively varying the effective thickness of said bar in said directions, an arcuately shaped wedge, and means mounting said wedge on one of said sections for pivotal movement about. an axis substantiany coincident with the axis about which said wedge is arcuately shaped, spaced wedge engaging surfaces on said body sections, said wedge -being pivotallyl movable from -a withdrawn position to a fully advanced positon for moving said secon-d body section from said fully retracted position to said fully extended position.

3. An elongated crossbar adapted to be mounted in a railroad c-ar or the like between spaced parallel supports provided therein and engage freight carried in said car, said crossbar comprising an elongated bar body, means at each end of said bar body for selectively connecting said crossbar to said supports in a plurality of positions spaced therealong, said bar body including a first elongated body section carrying said means at each end and which is held by said means against movement in one direction relative to said supports when said means is connected thereto, a second elongated body section disposed in side 'by side parallel relation to said first body section, means mounting said second body section on said first body section for movement transversely thereof, and in a direction opposite to said one direction from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position for selectively varying the effective thickness of said bar in said directions, an arcuately shaped wedge, means mounting said wedge on one of said sections for pivotal movement about an axis substantially coincident'with the axis about which said wedge is arcuately shaped, spaced wedge engaging surfaces on said body sections, said wedge being pivot-ally movable from a withdrawn position to a fully advanced position for moving said second `body section from said fully retracted position to said fully extended position, said wedge having an outer arcuate surface having a plurality of latch teeth spaced therealong, a latch element for releasably holding said wedge against movement toward said withdrawn position, means mounting said latch element on said -one of said body sections for movement to and from a latched position in which said latch element selectively engages said latch teeth on said wedge, and means yieldably holding said latch element in said latched position.

4. An elongated crossbar adapted to be mounted in a railroad car or the like between spaced parallel supports provided therein and engage freight carried in said car, said crossbar comprising an elongated bar body, means at each end of said bar body for selectively connecting said crossbar to said supports in a plurality of positions spaced therealong, said bar body including a first elongated body section carrying said means at each end and which is held by said means against movement in one direction relative to said supports when said` means is connected thereto, a second elongated body section disposed in side by side parallel relation to said first body section, means mounting said second body section on said first body section for movement transversely thereof, and in a direction opposite to said one direction from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position for selectively varying the effective thickness of said bar in said directions, an arcuately shaped wedge, means mounting said wedge on one of said sections for pivotal movement about an axis substantially coincident with the axis about which said wedge is arcuately shaped, spaced wedge engaging surfaces on said body sections, said wedge being pivotally movable from a withdrawn` position to a fully advanced position for moving said second body section from said fully retracted position to said fully extended position, said wedge having an outer arcuate surface having a plurality of latch teeth spaced therealong, a latch element for releasably holding said wedge against movement toward said withdrawn position, means mounting said latch element on said one of said body sections for movement to and from a latched position in which said latch element selectively engages said latch teeth on said wedge, and means yieldably holding said latch element in said latched position, said latch teeth on said wedge and said latch element having co-operating cam surfaces co-operating upon movement of said wedge toward said fully advanced position to move said latch element from said latched position to thereby prevent interference of said latch element with said movement of said wedge toward said fully advanced position.

5. An elongated crossbar for use in a coil car adapted to transport coils of sheet metal and having spaced parallel supports, one extending along each side of said car, said crossbar comprising an elongated bar body, means at each end of said bar body for selectively connecting said crossbar to said supports at a plurality of positions spaced therealong, said bar body including a fixed section having an elongated metal portion affording structural strength and a coil engaging strip secured along one edge thereof and adapted to engage a said coil of sheet metal, said metal portion comprising a pair of channels disposed in spaced parallel back to back relation, an elongated extensible section including a tongue telescopically received between said channels and mounting said extensible section on said xed section for movement transversely thereof for effecting desired variations in the effective width of the crossbar, said extensible section including a coil engaging strip at the opposite side of said crossbar from said first named coil engaging strip, said sections having opposed wedge engaging surfaces, a wedge pivotally mounted on said fixed section and having an arcuate wedge portion movable between and in engagement with said wedge engaging surfaces for moving said extensible section toward its fully extended position, said arcuate wedge portion having an outer arcuate surface having latch teeth formed thereon, a latch mounted on said fixed section for movement to and from a latched position in which it en-V gages said latch teeth aud co-operates therewith to prevent withdrawal of said wedge, spring means yieldably urging said latch to said latched position, and co-operating means on said teeth and said latch effective when said wedge is not supported through its engagement with said wedge engaging surfaces for moving said latch from said latched position and out of the path of movement of said wedge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,022,325 ll/l935 Schroeder 10S- 369 2,053,638 9/1936 Schroeder 10S-369 2,747,520 5/1956 Brown et al. 105-369 3,009,426 ll/196l Nampa 105--369 3,179,212 4/1965 Gostling 287--53-5 X ARTHUR L. LA POTNT, Primary Examiner. DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

1. AN ELONGATED CROSSBAR ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A RAILROAD CAR OR THE LIKE BETWEEN SPACED PARALLEL SUPPORTS PROVIDED THEREIN AND ENGAGE FREIGHT CARRIED IN SAID CAR, SAID CROSSBAR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BAR BODY, MEANS AT EACH END OF SAID BAR BODY FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING SAID CROSSBAR TO SAID SUPPORTS IN A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS SPACED THEREALONG, SAID BAR BODY INCLUDING A FIRST ELONGATED BODY SECTION CARRYING SAID MEANS AT EACH END AND WHICH IS HELD BY SAID MEANS AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORTS WHEN SAID MEANS IS CONNECTED THERETO, SAID FIRST BODY SECTION BEING COMPRISED OF TWO OPPOSITELY FACING ELONGATED CHANNELS, MEANS AFFIXING THE WEBS OF SAID CHANNELS TOGETHER AT SPACED LONGITUDINAL POSITIONS TO DEFINE AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREBETWEEN AND A FREIGHT ENGAGING MEMBER AFFIXED TO ADJACENT FLANGES OF SAID CHANNELS AT ONE SIDE THEREOF FOR ENGAGING FREIGHT, A SECOND ELONGATED BODY SECTION DISPOSED IN SIDE BY SIDE PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID FIRST BODY SECTION AND HAVING A FREIGHT ENGAGING MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SECOND BODY SECTION ON SAID FIRST BODY SECTION FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY THEREOF FROM A FULLY RETRACTED POSITION TO A FULLY EXTENDED POSITION FOR SELECTIVELY VARYING THE EFFECTIVE THICKNESS OF SAID BAR AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FREIGHT ENGAGING MEMBERS, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED PORTION OF SAID SECOND BODY SECTION SLIDABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID SLOT BETWEEN THE WEBS OF SAID CHANNELS, BIASING MEANS SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT BY ONE OF SAID SECTIONS AND ENGAGING THE OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS, SAID BIASING MEANS BEING AUTOMATICALLY MOVABLE FROM A WITHDRAWN POSITION TO A FULLY ADVANCED POSITION FOR URGING SAID SECOND BODY SECTION FROM SAID FULLY RETRACTED POSITION TOWARD SAID FULLY EXTENDED POSITION, SAID BIASING MEANS PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS FORCE FOR URGING SAID SECOND BODY SECTION TOWARD SAID FULLY EXTENDED POSITION, AND LOCKING MEANS FOR PRECLUDING MOVEMENT OF SAID BIASING MEANS TOWARD ITS WITHDRAWN POSITION FOR PRECLUDING RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND BODY SECTION TOWARD ITS FULLY RETRACTED POSITION. 